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A lot of attention in this race has focused on the number of city officials turning away from Mayor Michael Brennan to support Strimling.

“I wouldn’t be in the race if it weren’t for all of these folks calling for change,” Strimling said.

Strimling said he wants to be the “listener-in-chief,” but Brennan said he sees that approach as too passive.

Brennan said the city’s mayor should take the lead even if that means ruffling a few feathers.

“I think the issue here really is whether or not we’re going to move forward with a mayor and have a form of government in the city that was intended in the charter,” Brennan said.

Brennan said he’s given Portland a strong voice in Augusta and that’s led to more money for city projects. If elected to a second term, he said he plans on improving broadband access, a transportation center and a streamlined permitting process.

“We’ve tried to have the staff be more responsive, more available to people that have permitting needs and to talk to people proactively about what is necessary and what’s required,” Brennan said.

Strimling said that process is still too slow and is impeding growth. His administration would focus on universal pre-kindergarten and property tax relief, he said.

His years of helping at-risk children and low-income families at Learning Works have given him the right tools to fight poverty, he said.

“You build housing and you create jobs, and you shift people out of poverty into a life of stability. That’s how you get people off the medians. That’s how you move people out of shelters,” he said.

Tom MacMillan, the third candidate for mayor, said he wants to create a rent-stabilization board and his goal is to stand up for the people of Portland.

MacMillan is critical of his opponents’ funding.

“It comes from lawyers, landlords and developers. It comes from the power structure in the city. I’m running against the power structure that we have in Portland, not just against the two candidates for mayor,” MacMillan said.

MacMillan said he’s raised about $3,000.

Brennan and Strimling would not divulge their fundraising figures, but there is a fundraising deadline on Friday, and the numbers will become public then.